Most conventional motorized vehicles, such as the modern-day automobile, are provided with lock mechanisms designed to prevent the various vehicle door assemblies from inadvertently opening, and to allow each door assembly to be selectively opened with a door handle for entry and egress. Many of these locks may be operated from the inside of the vehicle by manipulating a lock knob or button generally located along the window frame, often arranged at one end of the upper portion of a trim panel. There are a variety of additional ways to lock and unlock the vehicle door, including using a key, a power lock switch, a numeric key pad on the outside of the door, or by using a remote keyless system, such as “electronic key fobs” and “proximity sensor devices”.
In a conventional vehicle door lock, a lock rod, which is normally a one-piece design, connects the lock button to the locking mechanism—e.g., a portion of the latch lever. Generally, when the lock knob is depressed, either manually or through an electro-mechanical interface, the door handle is operatively disconnected from the door latch, and the door is retained in a locked state even if the inside or outside door handle is actuated. When the lock knob is raised, thus shifting to an unlocked position, the door handles are reengaged with the door latch (e.g., through a pawl and latch interface), whereby the vehicle door becomes openable via manipulation of the door handles.
In many applications, the door lock assembly is mounted in an interior space between an outer door panel and an interior trim panel. A first end of the lock knob extends through a slot in the upper surface of the trim panel, whereas the second opposing end of the lock knob is spun onto a threaded proximal-end of the lock rod. Under certain loading conditions, the door trim panel may separate from the door inner panel in the lateral, cross-car direction. In so doing, the lock knob may be pulled from its intended location, inadvertently unlocking the door latch in the process.